Sage's Run
by turquoise duck
Summary: Framed as a Death Eater, Sage, a hogwarts student, is on the run from the Ministry of magic and their Aurors desperately trying to find who framed him and why in order to clear his name before he is caught. Reviews are very much appreciated.
1. Breaking And Entering

**Not much expaining but this is the introduction.**

**Disclaimer: Surprisingly enough I don't own Harry Potter, but, for this chapter at least I own the characters.**

"Alohomora" Sage whispered under his breath, his wand hidden up his sleeve and pointed at the muggle house's back door. He needn't fear the muggles, the lights were out and the car gone leading to the clear assumption that they were out; no he had to fear his own kind. They would have detected the spell instantly and know were he was. He had to be quick.

Sage pushed open the door, it creaked and he jumped back. Just because he thought no one was home didn't mean he didn't to be as quiet as possible. He stepped forward, the room he entered was the kitchen, he already knew that, that was one of the reasons he had chosen this house. The room was dark, the only light coming from the streetlamps outside but he knew he couldn't turn on the light and he daren't use a Lumos spell. He looked around briefly, his slightly too long, untidy, black hair shuffled in front of his eyes. He needed a shower and for that matter a shave, slight dark stubble had grown over his pale skin.

There was a noise from behind him.

He turned in alarm drawing his wand from the sleeve of his school shirt, the Gryffindor emblem evident on the top pocket. He pushed the wand out in front of him pointing it at the door he'd just come from.

There was nothing there.

There was another movement, but Sage saw it this time. It was a cat, just a cat. The creature hissed as he pointed the wand at it.

"Damn, I thought you were…" he hissed back at the animal.

He staggered back, still staring at the cat and tripped clean over a discarded mop that had slid to floor sometime during the night. He flew backwards crashing into the counter knocking several plates from a drying board which then smashed as they hit the floor.

So much for being as quiet as possible he thought as he climbed back to his feet. He looked for the cat but it had gone, fled as it heard the crash. Let's just get on with it and go Sage thought irritably. He walked to the fridge and opened. It was full. Perfect. He wasn't the type of person to steal normally but desperate times called for desperate measures. He grabbed a hunk of cheese and bit into it ravenously.

"Who are you?" came a voice from behind.

Damn. Sage hung his head slightly and closed his eyes for a moment before rising and turning to the voices owner. This was exactly what he didn't want.

The voice owner was a teenage girl, around sixteen at first glance, his own age. She was stood in the archway leading to the living room, sage couldn't see her face because of the dark but he could see that she had obviously just woken, pulled on a pair of jeans over her pink pyjamas and grabbed a rather large wooden pole (Sage momentarily wondered where the pole had come from before dismissing it as unimportant) and had come to confront him.

"Um… ss sorry I was just leaving" he replied lamely

"I said who are you" she half shouted advancing with the pole in hand.

Sage saw her face she was brown haired an blue eyed with a heart shaped face, she was actually quiet pretty ,despite the wrinkles on her forehead that told him exactly how angry she was, he thought but then he looked at the pole and put his hands up

"Ill just leave" he said

"You're not going anywhere" she shouted this time waving the pole. Sage had had enough.

"Look I don't want to hurt you, alright" sage said backing towards the door. The girl was unfazed by the mild threat.

"Believe me, I'm going to hurt you first!" she hissed at him.

Suddenly a wave of anger hit Sage, some stupid muggle girl in her pyjamas, pretty as she was, was waving a stick at him and he was scared. He, Sage who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a respected sixth year Gryffindor who had passed his O.W.L.S with an Outstanding in Defence Against the Dark Arts, was afraid of some muggle halfwit waving a pole at him.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at her.

"I don't think you will somehow, last warning." He spat, fully aware of how foolish he sounded, pointing a few inches long wooden stick at her, while simultaneously not caring any more.

To his surprise the girl staggered back, her anger dissolving into wide eyed surprise and acute fear.

"You're a wizard!?" she exclaimed, dropping the pole.

Oh that was perfect, Sage thought, was there anything else that could go wrong.

"You're a witch!?" he replied in an equally surprised voice, hoping the answer to be no, but prepared to start running if it wasn't.

"A Squib" she answered, not taking her eyes from his wand.

Well at least I know she won't pull out a wand and blast me into oblivion, Sage thought and now he had the advantage.

"I apologise for the intrusion and bid you good night" he said smoothly but as he turned to leave, she suddenly cried out,

"Wait you're the one in the Daily Prophet, that Hogwarts student that turned bad!"

Damn it, he cursed silently this was possibly the worse case scenario besides finding she was really an Auror.

"You're a Death Eater" she breathed in horror.

"And you would be an accomplice, I presume" came a third rasping male voice from the doorway.

Sage span to find a haggard looking man stood barring the doorway. He was around his early thirties, a mop of blond hair barely hiding a long silver scar above his left eye; he had also evidently not shaven for a few weeks. He wore shabby robes, was pointing a wand at him and was, without doubt, a ministry Auror.

Horrified Sage leapt to the side instantly to avoid the spell he knew was inevitably coming. He was facing an Auror he thought momentarily, what chance did he have? The thought disappeared as the Auror raised his wand and basic survival instinct kicked in.

"Stupefy" the Auror yelled and a brilliant red light sailed towards were Sage had been standing only moments ago and crashed in to counter.

The squib girl screamed.

Fear gripping him like chains, Sage pointed his wand at the Auror and did the first spell that came to mind.

"AGUAMENTI!"

A jet of water blasted from Sage's wand and slammed into the Auror toppling him backwards. Aguamenti Sage thought, what the hell was that?! Oh well at least it worked, now move!

Sage leapt to his feet, a million things running through his head, most telling him run, but he remembered the girl, the Auror thought she was an accomplice; he couldn't let him take her. Grabbing her arm and pulling her, he threw himself into the living room as another spell soared overhead.

"STUPEFY!"

Sage vaulted the coffee table, pulling the stunned girl with him and turned as the Auror came to the archway.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Sage yelled, the spell completely missed and the Auror retaliated.

"STUPEFY!"

Sage ducked the spell, which flew into a sofa, bundling the girl into the hall way. He reached the front door and thrust down the handle but it didn't budge.

"You lock the front door!" he yelled to the impassive girl who was now shaking uncontrollable.

Sage looked around, the Auror was in the living room, raising his wand to sling another stunning spell, but Sage already knew he would be and had readied his own spell.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

"STUP…"

Sages spell hit true, he'd got lucky and the Auror's wand flew from his hand halfway across the living room.

"Alohomora" Sage screamed at the door and kicked at it. It opened and he and the girl bundled out of it and into the garden. He had to disapparate now while the auror was distracted.

But the Auror, having retrieved the wand in a matter of seconds, had reached the hallway and was yelling yet another spell at Sage, but Sage had already prepared the disapparation and was once again too quick.

"APPARATE"

"STUPEFY!"

The stunning spell soared through the air and once again flew though the space where it's target had been mere moments ago. Sage and the girl had gone and the Auror stalked to the point where they had disappeared and growled in irritation. His prey had gotten away and there was bound to be a ton of paperwork explaining the loud bangs at two in the morning to local muggles. He made a quick promise to himself, next time they would not escape.

**Possibly not the best peice I've ever written, but it does the job. **

**Next Chapter- Sage has some explaining to do. **


	2. You're not a Death Eater

**Ok mainly explaining d****ialogue** **in this chapter but hopefully it should be getting intresting.**

**Disclaimer: I had a dream once that I owned Harry Potter but I don't think that counts. I don't own Harry Potter in reality.**

Sage landed hard on a grassy hill over looking a town. He had no idea where he was, only that he had missed his target by, well, a long way. He wasn't actually legally allowed to apparate, having not passed his test and wasn't exactly brilliant at it, he was relieved to be in one piece. That was another law broken.

It didn't matter now though. He'd escaped the Auror and for the time being was safe.

The squib girl was sat, curled in a ball on the grass still shaking, although now quite violently and was beginning to let out short quiet sobs.

Realising he was also still shaking and a cold sweat had set over him; he sat down next to her and put his arm around her. She didn't seem to notice, staring blankly at the lights of the nearby town. It wasn't cold despite it being early morning and them being sat upon a hill. It was a particularly warm August.

The two of them sat there for a while, not speaking and as if they knew each other well before finally the girl spoke.

"You're not a Death Eater" she whispered to him as if she didn't want to be overheard.

"Really", he whispered back "how do you know?"

She turned to look at him, a silent tear rolled down her cheek; he didn't think less of her for crying, he'd done his fair share in the previous few days.

"Death Eaters disapparate of to some far of country to meet with You Know Who, they don't break into muggle's houses in south London for food, they don't throw water and disarming spells at Aurors instead of killing curses, they don't stop useless squibs from being arrested, you're what… sixteen, seventeen and you're as scared as I am. Oh and Death Eaters don't put their arms around people to comfort them."

Sage took his arm from her shoulder

"Oh sorry and …uh…thank you" he replied fully aware that only a little while ago they were both prepared to hurt the other.

"So what exactly has been happening?" she replied still whispering.

"Well, I was just enjoying the holidays, when suddenly an owl flew into my bedroom and dropped a letter telling me to stay where I was and await arrest for being a suspected Death Eater, next thing I knew there were five bloody Aurors bashing down the front door so I grabbed the nearest clothes" he indicated his school shirt and jeans "and a few Galleons and disapparated"

"You ran away!" she exclaimed

"Yeah but even if there aren't any dementors there any more I'm not going to Azkaban" Sage replied defensively.

"But didn't you're parents…" she started

"Parents?" Sage interrupted "oh I'm an orphan and the orphanage always thought I was weird they never understood the idea of magic"

"Ok, but then what happened, after you left the orphanage that is?"

"I had to lay low for a few days but I couldn't go anywhere where my galleons were an actual currency, that's why I broke into your house…sorry about that anyway."

"So you didn't break into my house because you knew who I was?" the girl asked, she had stopped crying and shaking now but he could still see the tear stains on her cheeks illuminated by the moon. Sage realised that he didn't know who she was at all. He didn't even know her name.

"Uh…who are you?" he asked in reply

"Oh my name is Katie; call me Kate" she said, "my mother works at the ministry, in the Department of Mysteries"

"Oh I see my names Sage"

"Isn't that a girl's name!" Katie replied.

Sage groaned wondering how many times had he heard that before. Back at Hogwarts his name had something of an ongoing joke, especially in Herbology lessons. Students could be so immature! Just think about Hogwarts brought a sudden tear to Sage's eye. No don't think about that, not now, you can't go falling apart now, come on! Anyway he thought looking up it seemed to have brought a slight smile to Katie's face. There was another long silence. They both sat staring at the town and it's matrix of lights.

"So what are we going to do now?" Katie asked.

"We?" said Sage looking up at her.

"Yes we, the Auror thought I was an accomplice didn't he and you pulled me out of his way because of it, right" she said rather bossily "so we've got to clear you're name, besides two heads are better than one right even if I am just a squib."

Sage thought he heard a note of self pity in that last remark but didn't mention it.

"Uh...yeah, I suppose the first thing we should do is wait for a daily prophet, there's bound to be something about me somewhere in there, it might give us a lead" Sage said

"Might be something in it, Sage you've been on the cover for three days running!" Katie exclaimed

"What!?" replied Sage open mouthed. How did he attract so much attention?

"You didn't know? Sage, you're supposed to have murdered three ministry workers!"

"You have got be joking" he replied horrified

How did that happen? He looked at Katie dumbly hoping that she would start laughing but she didn't. No wonder he had Aurors after him.

"I've been set up" he said almost choking on the words.

"But who would do that and why?" Katie asked staring at him.

"I… I…I don't know" he stammered.

Indeed who would set up an insignificant Gryffindor student and what reason could they possible have for doing so. He was silent for a long while, the fear flooded his mind and he could think of nothing else but questioning who, why and how.

"So we wait 'till morning and find a Daily Prophet then?" Katie asked after ten minutes, breaking the silence.

Sage looked up at her again and instantly the fear dissolved, he had a friend and they were going to get to the bottom of this. That was enough for now.

"Yeah I suppose" He said and then with a tone more cheery than he felt added" Good ol' Harry will be writing in to complain that he isn't on the front page"

"You know Harry Potter?!" Katie breathed in the star struck fashion females did when they heard his name

"Yeah we share a common room, he's a friend" Sage replied awaiting the inevitable onslaught of questions

"What's he like?" she asked eagerly

"Well…" Sage began.

* * *

Sage only had to look at the first paragraph of the Prophet to find his lead the next day. Getting a copy had been surprisingly easy, he had simply apparated near to Hogsmeade (after several attempts) and had used a summoning charm on one of the carrier owl's papers (the owl had not liked being pulled along with it however and Sage now had several beak wounds on his arm) and then apparated back out again.

He and Katie were now in the middle of another town having landed in the centre of a housing estate. The front page of the paper was, as Katie had said it would be, covered with their faces with the headline in bold "MINISTRY WORKER'S DAUGHTER HELPS STUDENT DEATH EATER". They both reserved their emotions and read the article as if it were a set of clues. It read,

_Last night there was another incident involving the Ex-Hogwarts-Student-turned-Death-Eater Sage Valentine, in which, shockingly, a currently unnamed Auror detected a use of magic by the boy and upon following up the lead found Ministry worker's daughter and Squib Katie Hill in meeting with the known murderer. The two then fled the scene together before the Auror was able to detain them._

_Mr Valentine, Hogwarts student and unnervingly close friend to The Boy Who Lived, was seen last Wednesday by several eyewitnesses on Grimsfield road in central London indiscriminately using the killing curse on three individual Ministry workers who remain unnamed… _

The Article continued to give a brief, vague outline of the nights events and then profiles and then there was a comment by the Minister of Magic himself and then the Head Auror and finally it discussed possible reasons for the two teenagers "turning bad".

"Well" said Sage "There's our lead, this Grimsfield road"

"What" Katie replied doubtfully" the scene of the crime, the place will be crawling with Aurors"

"I doubt it" Sage replied "why would they be there, it's a muggle street and besides we have no other leads. They would never have thought we'd be stupid enough to go to the scene of the crime!" He had a slight grin as he said the remark.

"I don't know Sage it…" Katie began

"Come on are you with me or not?" Sage said holding out his hand, the boyish grin still on his face. Katie hesitated for a moment before grinning in reply and taking his hand.

**Thanks for reading. Reviews would be much appreciated.**

**Next Chapter- Sage and Katie visit Grimsfield to find some intresting leads and the odd bit of danger! **


	3. Grimsfield Road

**Ok its time I do some explaining: Sage is in the same year house and d****ormitory as Harry, they are friends just like Dean or Neville. Think of him as the one J.K never mentions. This story is set in the summer after the Sixth Book.**

**Disclaimer:If I owned Harry Potter the fourth and fifth books wouldn't be so brilliant. In a way that would be good because then the sixth would have been less disapointing!**

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In north London there was an estate named Redwood, a middle class suburbia where the early morning sun played upon the modern buildings consisting of pleasant blotches of red, grey and brown.

There were many cats that lived in this neighbourhood, the majority of them well fed, they were groomed and most rested upon chairs or windowsills for the majority of their time venturing only as far as where the street ended. It was therefore clear to anyone who might have taken interest in these animals that this cat was not from this neighbourhood. This cat was shockingly thin, its ribcage sticking out under the flea bitten fur, a scrawny wretched creature with scars lining it body and half an ear missing. It sat upon a garden wall watching.

There was a large bang from the centre of the road and there stood a young man in serious need of a wash and change of clothes and a bare footed girl clutching him wearing jeans, a pink pyjama top with a teddy bear imprinted on the front. The noise had not been loud enough to be heard in the surrounding homes but enough to make several cats run for shelter. But not the gaunt looking animal on the wall, he simply sat and watched the pair. If cats could smile broadly like humans this one would have, the boy had walked straight into the trap. The cat that wasn't a cat sat and watched until the pair moved on towards one of the houses, then leapt from the wall to tell its master that everything was going to plan.

Oblivious to their watcher Sage and Katie stood beside the neatly trimmed garden of one of the suburban houses.

"This the place?" Sage asked staring at the home enviously while stroking his greasy unwashed hair.

"Yep, this is it, we can go and get new clothes, food and rest right till tonight, that the plan?" Katie replied cheerily. It had taken several apparitions to arrive at the correct location. Sage didn't reply as they walked up the carless drive and stopped at the door.

"Are you sure about this?" Sage asked nervously

"Sage I've told you, my cousins are on holiday, the ministry wouldn't have picked up on it because my uncle is supposed to be in St Mungo's after..."

"A department of mysteries related illness for which the cure is relaxation and so there on an unofficial holiday, I know, but how are we supposed to get in without being seen and without using magic?"

"We can use magic here, Sage" Katie replied in a slightly frustrated tone. Sage stared at her blankly.

"In case you've forgotten last time I used magic on a door a crazed Auror came bursting through and started blasting spells at us" he replied.

"When you used a spell on our door the ministry were alerted because there is a charm on our door that alerts them of intruders while locking it, remember our front door was locked. All ministry workers have protection especially now You Know Who's back. The ministry can't track all magic either" Katie explained

"Ok but your uncle is a ministry worker doesn't he have protection?" enquired Sage. A grin came to Katie's face

"Ah well my uncle is a wizard but his family don't know, there muggles you see, his wife and kids, so he wouldn't let the ministry install the charm, thought it would expose him and of course, the ministry had to respect his liberties" Sage grinned back, it seemed perfect for the moment.

"Well" he said "if an Auror bursts through the door, I'm throwing you to them as bait!" She scowled at him and he took out his wand and pointed it at the lock and muttered "Alohomora". He turned the knob and the door opened silently.

"You see I was right, there's a slight pinging noise when you open our door to show you the charms there" Katie told him, Sage could vaguely remember such a noise.

The door opened to a large carpeted hallway leading to the kitchen at the back of the house, and deviated to the living, dinning and study rooms and a set of modern wooden stairs. The house was unnaturally clean; the family were obviously one that habitually cleaned before going on holiday so they could come back to a clean house.

"The shower is upstairs, you go and I'll find us some clothes to wear" Katie instructed.

"Ok, you couldn't see if there's an anything to eat could you? I've hardly eaten in days." Sage replied.

"I noticed last night." Katie commented tonelessly.

Sage quickly found the bathroom, undressed and got in the shower. He was surprised by how thin he suddenly looked. Under the hot water he suddenly felt more awake than he had in days and he had chance to reflect on the nights events.

The situation had suddenly gotten a lot more serious. He was supposed to be a murderer. Everyone was looking for him; doubtlessly he had been in muggle news as well. How the hell was he to get out of this? It was really quite hopeless when he thought like that. Tears started to fill his eyes threatening to slide out and mingle with the shower water. Don't think like that he told himself. You're going to this Grimsfield road and you'll find something that shows you didn't do it. Grimsfield road he thought. Was going there suicide? What was it that he hoped to find? But then what choice did he have? Did they have actually he thought. What did he think of Katie? Well he knew so far she was smart, somewhat fierce and a little bossy but also self-pitying when it came to the fact that she was a squib. He also knew he could trust her, he'd seen the fear in her eyes as he had in his own; she knew he was her only chance of evading those Aurors. What else? Katie was really quite pretty Sage suddenly thought surprising himself.

He climbed out of the shower to find a fresh pile of clothes on the floor. Grateful as he was for the change of clothing he couldn't help wondering about Katie coming in as he showered.

Several minutes' later Sage had towel dried and dressed in a slightly too big black shirt, blazer and trousers and entered the kitchen to find Katie rummaging through cupboards.

"Ah Sage" she started but paused, noticing the difference in looks, the new clothes with the wet hair and the stubble now looking reasonably fashionable rather than ragged. She couldn't help but be impressed. "You look, um, better"

"You sure your uncle won't mind me borrowing these" he asked

"Oh no, there old and he's too fat to fit into them now, you look much better in them!" she giggled "Anyway I'm going to have a shower myself now, get out of my pyjamas. There's nothing in the fridge, try and find something edible would you."

She left and by the time she returned Sage had found several tins of food and rice.

"Rice isn't exactly breakfast food but I suppose if you haven't eaten for days" she said startling him. He turned around and found her dressed in something vaguely akin to his Hogwarts robes.

"Are you trying to be a witch?" he asked. She looked abashed for a few seconds and Sage wondered if it were the right thing to say, but then she burst into laughter.

"No my cousins a Goth" she replied

"Goth" he enquired.

"Oh I forgot you were a wizard, don't worry it's a muggle thing." she replied laughing again "My cousin is a bit older than me but these fit, what do you think anyway?"

"I think I preferred the Jim Jams" he smirked.

Half an hour later they had cooked a meal of rice and the various contents of the tins and had also made some instant coffee. The electric kettle had fascinated Sage for several minutes. As they sat at the dining table Katie looked at him.

"So what exactly have you done the last few days or however long it's been" she asked him directly

"Not much" he replied, his tone darkened "I kept walking mostly with no real direction, avoided places with people. I slept out the first few nights and then I found an abandoned house all boarded up and I don't really remember much else. Um, I remember stealing several bars of chocolate from a corner shop and being scared around crowds and being scared to use magic but really not much else." How odd he thought to himself; surely I should remember more. He looked over at Katie, she evidently shared his thought. He decided to change the subject.

"Anyway I know nothing about you, tell me about yourself"

"I'm a squib" she said simply and bitterly her face contorting in the same self-pity he'd seen several times. He simply stared at her and she realised that wasn't enough. "My mother works at the ministry and my dad died before I was born, killed by a death eater actually. My mum works long shifts in the department of mysteries; she loves it, that's why she wasn't there last night. When I was young I showed no magical ability whatsoever. My mother was devastated. We tried Kwikspell but that didn't work. So I never went to Hogwarts but some of my friends did, I saw them at holidays, they all talk about Hogwarts among themselves. I went to a muggle school but hated it and pulled out and we got a tutor and I was home schooled. I didn't have many muggle friends but the few I do have are good friends, of course they think some of our habits are peculiar"

She dreamt of suddenly finding she had magic and going to this magical Hogwarts. No wonder she was so lonely, no wonder she was bitter.

"Tell me everything about Hogwarts Sage" she burst out "My friends are always vague but I want to know everything

"Well it's a good place, or at least it was 'till Dumbledore died" he said. That was only a few weeks ago, he thought, scary how time flew. He had been at the funeral with the rest of the school and he had cried with the rest of them, not for Dumbledore himself, he hadn't known him personally, but for all that he stood for and all that was lost. "I could talk for days, of the times at Hogwarts, the buildings, the lessons, the students, the teachers, all the adventures we've had, the D.A, Harry. How long have you got"

"Till dusk" she replied eagerly

* * *

The next few hours were spent eating, talking, resting but neither of them slept. They gathered supplies, as they called it and Katie found a reasonable amount of muggle money and managed to convince Sage that they were borrowing rather than stealing.

When Sage and Katie approached Grimsfield at around eleven that night, so there wouldn't be see many people, they did not go by the main road instead they apparated some way away and approached through side alleys, pathways and through gardens. Grimsfield did not live up to its depressing name nor was it particularly special, it was simply a normal street with a series of shops further on down the street including a large department store. As the road came into view they saw muggle police tents situated in the middle of the road which had been cornered off with police tape. All was quiet except two muggle security guards.

"How do we get past the guards" Katie whispered as they hid around a street corner, out of view.

"Hmmm, Muffliato" Sage cast the spell "that means they won't hear us, but I can't make us invisible, we will just have to be careful"

And so Sage and Katie sprinted hand in hand over to the police tape, making sure the guards were on the other side of the tent.

"Wait here, I'll deal with the guards" Sage said and seeing the look she gave him added "Don't worry I'll be gentle."

Ducking under the police tape, he sprinted to the side of the tent and pressed himself against it. He then slid himself along the fabric circumnavigating the reasonably large rectangular tent. He peered around the opposite side of the tent to find the two guards sat upon stools drinking coffee from flask and talking quietly. So much for the dedication of the British police force Sage thought. Holding up his wand he whispered "Lumos" and a bight orb came to the tip. He pushed the wand out past the corner of the tent. It took a matter of seconds for one of the guards to notice.

"Hey look" he said

"What?" asked the other.

"There was a weird light by the tent"

"I didn't see anything"

"Wait here. I'll check it out" the first guard replied moving towards the corner. He strode over to the tent and turned the corner to find nothing. What the hell he thought. He strode down the side of the tent towards the opposite side.

Sage was now crouched half behind the corner cloaked in the darkness. He waited until the guard had come to around half way down the breadth of the tent before whispering his spell.

"Rictusempra"

The man instantly doubled over and burst into fits of laughter. The other guard came with a broad smile on his face.

"What's so fu…?"

**"**Petrificus Totalus" The second man went rigid and fell to the floor. From where he stood Sage removed the effects of the tickling charm only to use the body locking jinx on the other guard.

He returned to Katie wondering whether that had been the best thing to do, the ministry would surely come to their aid and would undoubtedly modify their memory.

"Come on Kate lets get on with it."

"Right"

They drew back the canvas door to the tent and went inside. Sage lit his wand. The first thing that was noticeable was that the bodies had been removed. The second was the small crater in the centre of the tarmac.

"Well that's not right for a start" Katie stated "The paper said that there was no struggle the other day that you simply walked up to them and brought all three down one after the other in quick succession"

"Why would three ministry workers be in a housing estate anyway? And why would somebody take them out on a muggle street?" Sage asked rhetorically. "They were quick to remove the bodies too"

Sage shone his wand light into the corner of the tent and noticed a pattern on the floor. He bent down to the marks and realised what they were.

"Scorch marks" he said "out lining where the body was"

"Sage look above you" Katie called, he did and found a series of photographs

"They must have left these here" he said taking one down and examined it. It showed two name tags and a wand scattered on the floor. He took down another and found that it was another shot of the name tags only this time the writing on them was legible. Instead of reading them he stuffed them into his blazer for later. As he pulled down a third photograph he swore as everything became evident. The photograph showed two set of blacked ashes sitting in the middle of the road as if the bodies had been blasted. Sage almost threw up as he realised that must have been just what happened. The scorch marks were there for a reason.

"Damn, these men weren't killed by the killing curse" he told Katie as he passed her the photograph "they were incinerated with a fire spell and then the killer used the Reducto spell to blast the bodies into dust"

"They must have left the name tags and wands on purpose" Katie deducted

"Yeah but look there are only two sets of wands, two name tags and two ,uhhh, sets of ashes. Didn't the paper say that there were three victims?" Sage said peering at the grisly scene on the photograph.

"So what you're saying is why would the ministry lie about it?" Katie said

"The ministry lied because the public wouldn't want the truth" came a voice. Sage and Katie didn't need to turn around to know that the voices owner was the blond haired Auror from the previous night but when they did they found he was accompanied by two female Aurors.

* * *

**Reveiws are as ever appreciated.**

** Next Chapter- The chase is on and help comes from an unexpected place. **


	4. Shut up and run!

**Ok chapter four and it's longer again. I didn't intend that but hey.**

**Disclaimer: Owning Harry Potter is a bit like owning more money than the queen from writing about wizards, that is, it doesn't work if you're not J.K Rowling. Unfortunately I'm not the genius herself. **

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**"Don't bother trying to disapparate" the blond Auror said "we put an anti-disapparation jinx on the surrounding area the moment we arrived. Standard procedure" there was a trace of jubilance in his voice. 

He had caught them and this time it didn't look as though escape was likely, no wonder he was cheerful. Bastard Sage thought.

"Intruder charms are incredibly useful don't you think." The blond Auror sneered. Sage could see his face through the light coming from his still-illuminated wand "They stop the peering eyes of muggles, even the odd journalist but imagine how surprised we are to catch the main culprits themselves"

"Were not..." Sage started but stopped as the Auror raised a hand.

Katie was stood clutching his arm with trembling hands. Her lips were tightly pressed together and she was staring straight ahead at the three newcomers all of whom were pointing wands at them.

"So tell me why in the wide world did you decide to conform to the old cliché of returning to the crime scene?" The Auror asked in a mocking tone.

"We came to find what we've been accused of" Sage said opting for the truth, he noticed an odd almost pleading tone to his own voice "and show that we have done noth…"

"Nothing wrong and were completely innocent" the Auror continued Sage's sentence in the same mocking tone "I've heard that one too many times mate and too be fair I don't care, I'm just doing my job."

Up until now Sage had thought this man was doing just as he said he was, his job, but now he realised that he wasn't "just doing his job" there was something else going on behind his sneering face. Something malevolent.

Sage glanced at the two other Aurors stood behind the man. It was apparent that he was their superior. Both were dressed in Auror robes though neither of them looked as shabby as the male Auror. The woman on the left was young but ugly with coarse and badly braided blond hair and an unsightly lip piercing. The other was much older, in her mid forties; she was raven haired and wore wrinkles suggesting expression on the currently expressionless face.

"So what happens now" Sage asked trying to suppress the fear building inside of him. He noticed a brief expression on the raven haired Aurors face. Was it pity?

"Well if you hadn't of tried blasting me last night I would be taking you into custody but as it so happens" the blond Auror smirked "we've had to drag two dementors looking for a kiss and an order letting them". He brought out a scroll.

Katie gasped and her trembling increased. A wave of pure fear hit Sage like a sledgehammer.

"Y-Y-Y-You're lying" he stammered "all the dementors are with Voldemort"

"Oh not all of them" the Auror replied his eyes shining maliciously.

It was then Sage noticed something. The two other Aurors looked at each other startled. They were equally surprised. Something was very wrong.

Sage suddenly had a plan. Well not so much of a plan moreover an idea that would as likely get him killed as it would work.

"I want to see that order" he said demandingly.

"Fine" the Auror replied smiling sadistically and threw the scroll towards him. In that same second Sage pointed his ward at the scroll and shouted a spell.

"Waddiwasi"

The scroll suddenly flew back into the Auror with such a force that it sent him flying backwards straight out of the tent. Sage would have to thank Professor Lupin if he saw him. Before anybody could have reacted Sage had used the "Nox" spell to extinguish the light on his wand and the tent was plunged into darkness. Sage grabbed hold of Katie anticipating stunning spells to be slamming into his back at any moment. A few seconds later they hadn't come and Sage took advantage of the Aurors apparent disorientation and leapt forward towards what he thought was a corner in the tent and shouted a spell.

"Diffindo"

There was a large ripping sound and the sound of shouting all mixed together in the darkness. Sage concentrated solely on travelling forward and dragging Katie with him. The fabric fell on him but he charged forward blindly panicked thoroughly with fear. Wildly pushing the fabric out of the way he emerged through the corner of the now collapsed tent into the streetlamp lit road. He yanked a hysterical Katie from the fabric and glanced at the remains of the tent. The blond Auror was lying on the opposite side of the mess of fabric and poles unconscious and Sage could make out the shapes of the two other Aurors struggling against the fallen tent. At that moment everything in Sage told him to run.

And so he did. He ran wildly not focusing on the direction he was travelling or the girl he was pulling along somewhat forcefully. They were some fifty metres away when he registered that Katie was saying something to him.

"Sage where are…" she breathed

"Shut up and run" he shouted back. And so she did.

They reached the various shops when suddenly Sage felt very cold and without warning Katie stumbled and fell to the ground pulling him with her. From the ground he looked back at Katie, she was sweaty, pale and still shaking. Wonderful he suddenly thought I'm being chased by trained ministry Aurors and this stupid squib just made me fall. It was hopeless. In that moment that thought spread like a poison and gripped like a vice. Then he realised this wasn't how he thought or felt, what had that been for. And why was he so cold all of a sudden. It didn't take him long to put two and two together. Dementors.

Sure enough as he turned there were two black shapes floating down the street towards them with the accompanying putrid rotting stench.

"Shit!" he muttered somewhat frantically. He looked over at Katie she was rooted to the spot sweaty, shivering and staring at the creatures. She had never come across dementors before they were bound to have this effect the first time. Sage realised it was up him now and there was no running from these things.

They came closer and a feeling of nausea came to Sage as he peered at the faceless head of the first creature. The dementors had been posted at Hogwarts in his third year and in the D.A he had been taught to perform a patronus but neither event readied him for the reality of the current situation.

Right, he thought, happy memory, there was the first view of Hogwarts and it had been breathtaking. No he was too nervous the first time he saw it, it wouldn't work.

The first dementor suddenly put on burst of speed and with a shriek swooped down at Sage. Katie screamed. Sage closed his eyes. It was his third year, he stared through binoculars holding his breath as Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy reached for the golden snitch. Harry knocked away Draco's arm and wrapped his fingers around the golden ball. The stadium exploded with applause. Gryffindor had won the cup! Tears filled his eyes as Seamus grabbed him still yelling "Go, Go Gryffindor!"

Sage opened his eyes.

"Expecto Patronum" he yelled. There was a blast of white light and the dementor bounced back screeching.

But that was it. Now both dementors were at him. Katie was on the ground shaking. Sage fell to his knees, sweat dribbling down his forehead and panting hoarsely. It hadn't worked. For a moment the despair overwhelmed him but then he looked at Katie on the floor. The memory had to be more personal and it didn't need to be real, right.

He closed his eyes and it came immediately. He was sat in the warm Gryffindor common room on the comfortable chairs near the fire, sat next to him were Harry, Ron and Hermione and also Katie reclining in one of the chairs in the Hogwarts robes. She was a talented witch. They were all laughing at some prank Fred and George Weasley had pulled. He opened his eyes a second time. This time he knew it would work.

"Expecto Patronum" he screamed with all his might.

This time the spell didn't come out as a small blast as it had before moreover it was like a bullet exploding out into the wretched creatures. As the white light came to the ground it formed as a wolf both fierce and majestic. It dived into the dementors. There was a brilliant flash of light and Sage looked away.

When he looked back there was no patronus and no dementors. It had worked. Furthermore Katie was getting up. The jubilation was however short lived.

"Stupefy"

Reacting on impulse Sage dived out the way. The spell flew past him and into the road. The Aurors. Shit.

Sage turned. The two female Aurors were running towards him with their wands raised.

"Expelliarmus" he shouted back sending the spell back at the Aurors. It missed completely.

"Stupefy" the braided-haired Auror shot a spell at Sage directly. He flinched awaiting the moment it hit his body. But it didn't come. He opened his eyes to see Katie collapse in front of him. She had taken the spell for him. Shocked as he was he wasted no time in his retaliation.

He aimed his wand at a nearby car and shouted "Diffindo". The spell hit the car like a chainsaw slamming a cut into the middle of it. Sage knew enough about cars to know they ran on petrol. Petrol was flammable. He glanced at the two Aurors. They were still some way away and wouldn't be hurt.

"Incendio" he said. The car now acted as if a bomb had gone off inside of it. It exploded and the flames were scattered across the road. Sage suddenly felt sorry for the owner but no doubt the ministry would reimburse them. The explosion created a wall of flame and smoke, the Aurors wouldn't get through that quickly.

He leant over Katie. She was unconscious. She'd taken a stunning spell for him. What did that mean? It didn't matter for now. Most wizards his age wouldn't have known what to do but thanks to the D.A again he was equipped.

He Pointed the wand at her and cast "Ennervate". She woke with a gasp and then erupted into coughing. He held her as she awoke. She looked around.

"Are you ok?" he asked with a tone of urgency.

"What the hell happened?" she spluttered. Evidently she was fine.

"Aguamenti" a voice came. The Aurors were coming through. Sage couldn't believe it he thought it would take them a while.

"Can you run?" He asked Katie, she nodded "Good let's go".

Dragging her to her feet Sage leapt down the street.

"Stupefy"

Again Sage dodged the spell on impulse, pushing Katie out of the way. He looked back; the Aurors were emerging through the smoke. They couldn't run down the middle of the street, they would be easy targets. There was only one thing for it. They happened to be outside the department store and they would have to go in. He turned to the door shouting "Alohomora".

He kicked at the door and it flew open. He pulled Katie after him. The Room was huge filled with rows upon rows of muggle clothing. They ran forward between the racks. They had only gone some thirty meters when another stunning spell flew at them and Sage dived between two racks of clothing pulling Katie down with him. The spell hit a rack send the clothing flying like a multicoloured firework. Sage looked back. The Aurors were at the entrance. Leaping up he pointed his wand in their general direction and screamed "Expelliarmus" sending the spell blindly.

Sage and Katie sprinted down the row of clothing, several stunning spells smashed into the racks sending clothes flying in front of them and behind them. None hit their target. They got to the end. Sage frantically looked around for a place to run and saw the staff stairwell and pulling Katie after him ran with all he had for it. He looked over his shoulder to see a spell incoming; he ducked and span around sending a disarming spell back at the pursuers who were rapidly making up the distance between them.

They reached the stairwell at the side of the building and battered open the door, that said "Staff Stairwell" on its plaque, while they leapt over a low aimed spell.

The stairwell was an ordinary square spiral staircase and Sage and Katie flew at it, scaling the first flight in a number of seconds taking two or three steps at a time. The Aurors were not far behind and by the time Sage and Katie reached the fourth flight they were on the first sending stunning spells at them. They ducked and Sage retaliated with his disarming spell. It missed.

Sage and Kate threw themselves around the next few corners ignoring the poorly aimed stunning spells sent at them. They reached the tenth flight as the Aurors reached the eighth. They were catching up. Sage, acting on an idea thought of in the previous few seconds, reached over the banister and aimed at the stairs under the Aurors feet and cast "Evanesco".

The floor under the Aurors vanished completely. The Braided-haired Auror, who had been behind, fell letting out a surprised yell and landed painfully on the steps bellow. The older Raven-haired Auror leapt forward and seized the edge of the stable platform dropping her wand in the process.

The Braided-haired Auror pulled herself to her feet on the stairwell gasping in pain. She had probably broken a rib. Damn this kid! They should have seen it coming though. This kid was smart. Grimacing she called to her partner who had climbed up the ledge.

"You head them off upstairs and I'll find another way around" She said huskily throwing a wand to the other Auror. The raven-haired Auror, catching the wand one-handed, nodded and continued up the staircase.

By this time Sage and Katie had reached the top of the stairway and had burst through the doorway. The room atop was just as large as the one at the bottom, though here they were selling children's clothing.

Excellent Sage thought, if they could get to the other side quickly enough they would have enough time and space to disapperate without him messing up. So they sprinted past the racks of toddler bibs. Both of them were out of breath by now but they were going to make it.

But just as Sage allowed himself to think that something darted out into their path. Startled he misplaced his footing just before the thing and stumbled, crashing to the floor, taking Katie with him and sliding.

What the hell was that? Sage thought. He shot glances all around until he found it. It was a cat. It was a scrawny, flea bitten cat with scars down its body and half an ear missing.

Sage stared at it for a moment, why the hell was a mangled cat in a department store and why had it come into his path? Then he realised there was no time to wonder. Katie had already scrambled to her feet and he promptly followed suit. The advantage over the Aurors had gone they would have to disapperate now.

Too late.

"Stupefy". A stunning spell hit Katie squarely in the back and she was sent hurtling forward and for the second time in a matter of minutes was sprawled unconscious on the floor.

Sage span around with his wand ready. But he was too slow.

"Expelliarmus" Sages wand flew from his hand and landed somewhere amongst the darkness. The Cat fled and the Raven-haired Auror pointed her wand directly at Sage. He was unarmed. It was finished.

Sage put up his arms and blurted what sounded like the most stupid thing.

"I'm not a Death Eater" he said.

To his complete surprise the Auror lowered her wand and replied.

"I know"

"What!?" he exclaimed.

"I've had a fair share of Death Eaters to consider in my time and you certainly aren't one" a look of compassion crossed her face and Sage felt a strange sense of relief, he was in a terrible situation but still someone believed him, "Killing spells not disarming spells tend to be a Death Eaters flavour" Katie had said the same thing.

"Help me" Sage begged suddenly.

In a calm tone the Raven-haired woman replied "I'll try".

Then a third voice came from the darkness.

"Oh how very touching!" the voice was cold and mocking, "The Auror helps the outlaw, almost poetical." Sage couldn't see the man properly; just a faint outline, but he got the impression of a battered runt of a man with a scar across his face and half an ear missing. The Cat he realised. He was an Animagus.

"Who are you?" the Auror asked sharply.

"It is not my name that you should be worried about, Auror" The man spat at her "Rather you should worry about your use in this tale. You happen to be more use to me dead" there was a slight pause before "Avada Kedavra"

"No" Sage screamed.

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Around five minutes later the braided-haired Auror reached the top floor and found a body. She ran over to the raven-haired woman, her mentor and shook her. 

"Danielle" She called "Danielle"

There was no answer.

Sage and Katie had by this point long since disapperated. The Braided-haired Auror leant over the body and wept, contemplating the revenge she'd get on the kid who had killed her friend.

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**While I'm here has anyone heard of Harry and the Potters, they are the pinnicle of Wizard rock!**

**Reviews are, as ever, appreciated. Anyway next chapter is going to be a short one.**

**Next chapter-A dark meeting **


	5. Red sky in the morning

**A short chapter that somehow took me two weeks to write. No Sage in this one but plans are coming to light.**

**Disclaimer: With the pressure of the seventh book release hanging over her, thankfully I'm not J.K. Rowling. **

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The man was dressed in casual muggle dress, a long black overcoat covering a shabby shirt. He was waiting on a balcony of a disused London apartment building overlooking an old church. He had seen his associate only a few hours ago, but then they had not been at liberty to speak and no message had been sent yet they both knew where to meet. The place was a Death Eaters hideout, one of several in London alone, its previous owners had been a pair of illegal immigrants and nobody had found their bodies and nobody had cared about their disappearance. It was similar, in fact, to the one in which, the man had heard, Severus Snape made his unbreakable vow in the presence of Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy. 

As the man expected he was waiting barely twenty minutes before a small creature emerged from the shadows engulfing the unlit room behind him. He looked over at the flea-bitten, scrawny and scarred cat with half an ear missing in some disgust.

"You look dreadful, Legimin." He said in an unpleasant mocking voice. He despised the man secretly but had to acknowledge his brains and undeniable skill and in the interest of the dark lords plans had to work with him.

"Well perhaps its guilt" Legimin replied with a twisted ugly smile. He had now come back to human form. "Or perhaps in the interest of my task I've neglected the need to eat"

"There is food inside, help yourself, but first we need to talk about where this…project is going" the man in the overcoat said, he was staring into the night.

"And here I was thinking you wanted to discuss the Chudley Cannons surprise victory" Legimin replied with that sinister smile spreading across his lips.

"Where is the boy now?" the other man replied abruptly.

"Oh they broke into another empty muggles house, used a brick to smash the back door's window instead of using magic, just in case" Legimin cackled slightly at this but stopped as the other man gave him a sharp look. "Don't worry I know where to find them."

"So what exactly happened tonight?" the man said, coming to the point of the conversation.

"You were there?" Legimin enquired.

"Under invisibility cloak, I sent the dementors they were promised, to test the boy. He's quite a talent, the car explosion was unexpected and I lost track of them. I didn't see all that went on in the tent either."

"Not trusting me to do the job then" Legimin replied. It was a statement rather than an accusation.

"You know as much as I that we need to work together on this delicate operation" he looked at the starved and wretched face of his companion" the boy was a fool tonight, he almost got himself killed, we have spent too long planning this for this boy to throw it all away".

"Yes, it was an incredibly bold move on the boy's behalf, it threw me off guard too, I must admit" Legimin said thoughtfully "though the result was undeniably spectacular, not only did he escape but he also succeeded in blowing up a street and to the ministry's knowledge killed a senior Auror."

"So you did succeed in killing Danielle Aukartivitsky" the man stated.

"I knew I'd get her one day but I didn't imagine it would be in such a glorious circumstance" Legimin replied with a menacing grin.

"I suppose it had to happen sooner or later but such death was highly expected"

"Yes, it brings the entire plan forward the ministry will be after blood on this one now"

"It complicates the matter; discreet protection will not be enough if the boy tries anything remotely reckless" the man said, concern in his voice.

"Ah well, here's the interesting thing, the boy saw the photographs of the crime scene and as you said the kids got talent"

"You think he'll go after Iceberg".

"Given tonight's events and given that the boy has the right information and means I would say it was inevitable" Legimin was leaning over the railings as he spoke with that grin still on his face " The boy has to struggle for survival he'll do any anything and fall into the trap further and further. This is where the girl comes in."

"I was wondering whether their meeting was your construct or chance"

"Yes, amazing what a simple imperius Curse can do" Legimin replied darkly "I believe she could be of some use here"

"How is that?" the other man growled.

"Well I believe the boy will be rather concerned for her safety and as I said the ministry wants blood".

"You seem to have this all planned out" the other man said showing in his voice the closest to admiration to Legimin than he ever would.

"You just leave that side to me and our friend" Legimin said "By this time tomorrow the boy should be under our mercy and there is an annoying little problem I'll get him to stamp out, then you and Bellatrix can have a ball"

"Excellent I shall inform her immediately" The man replied tonelessly "please eat Legimin and then resume your duty. I shall expect a report when the boy is on the move"

"As you wish" Legimin sneered.

The man again stared out into the red sky. Red sky in the morning, Sheppard's warning. There was a storm coming.

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**Reviews are always appreciated.**

**Next chapter- Back to Sage as he comes to terms with previos events and plans his next move unaware of the net closing in around him. **


	6. Thoughts and Facts

**If anyone has been following this story I apologize for not updating for ages. This chapter and the following were supposed to be one but they turned out to be way too long so I broke it into two chapters therefore if one of these doesn't seem to have much of a point that's the reason.**

**Please also note that this story was planned before the release of Deathly Hallows and therefore if bits seem odd that is the reason. Also note that the story is set between the sixth and seventh book and if the timeline seems odd the reason above applies. Since this is the first update since the release of Deathly Hallows there will start to be references though no real spoilers**

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**Disclaimer: Deathly Hallows is awesome, clearly I'm not as good a writer as J.K Rowling and clearly I don't own Harry Potter.**

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"You blew up a car?" Katie exclaimed throwing down the Daily Prophet, which rather inevitably had the headline "TEENAGE DEATH EATER ON DESTRUCTIVE RAMPAGE" followed by an inaccurate animated drawing of a particularly nasty looking young man sending a non-ending series of jinx, hexes and curses at three rather brave and heroic looking Aurors. 

Without answering her, he picked up the paper and began to read the article on the front cover.

_Incredible new events occurred late last night in the hunt for alleged teenage Death Eater Sage Valentine, aged 17, student at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry with startlingly close connections with the "Boy Who Lived". In a bizarre move the assailant returned to the scene of the initial attack on unarmed ministry workers at Grimsfield Road, North London, the result of which left three dead. The ministry of magic are so far unwilling to give specific information yet it is alleged that in the chase from the scene involving Mr Valentine and an unspecified number of Aurors there has been a casualty and that Valentine has escaped after causing a certain amount of damage to the surrounding area. It is also believed that Valentine is still accompanied by a Miss Katherine Hill , also aged 17, however it is thought that the Auror office no longer suspects her involvement in criminal offences yet this raises the question as to why she is still in the company of Mr Valentine. There are suspicions within the ministry that Miss Hill has become a hostage to Valentine yet there seems little evidence to confirm this. _

_It is thought that around Eleven o'clock last night Sage Valentine accompanied by Katherine Hill approached Grimsfield Road from an unknown direction and disabled two muggle security officers before entering the tent in which the three bodies of the still unnamed murdered ministry workers still remained however in doing so triggered an intruder charm that alerted three also unknown Aurors. Given that the Ministry is yet to release a statement it is uncertain as to exactly what happened next however The Prophet has gathered some evidence and can say the following. It seems evident that Valentine and Hill escaped the tent by unknown means, the assailant then sought to escape to an area in which apparation was possible yet was prevented from doing so by an unknown factor. It is then known that a chase ensued in which a local muggle car was ignited and that the chase continued into a muggle department store where it is believed that a casualty was occurred among the Aurors and that Valentine escaped to an unknown location via apparation. The severity of the casualty is also unknown._

_The events at Grimsfield Road have, needless to say, caused a great deal of unease within the ministry this morning. The muggles involved have been treated and obliviated and teams of magical repair workers have been working tirelessly throughout the night to repair the damage caused. Yet within the ministry there is debate as to what the events mean. There is a strong argument forming throughout a number of ministry officials that Valentines returning to the scene of the initial attack suggests a need for knowledge and therefore suggests innocence within Mr Valentine. However there is a second argument emerging that the events during the ensuing chase prove Mr Valentines ruthlessness. Continued page 3 _

Sage didn't bother carrying on reading the next part of the article instead he sat blank faced and unbelieving that the current scenario was real, that his world was falling apart. He let the paper slide out of his hands, all too aware that Katie was still watching him and as he did so he brought his hands over his eyes and gave a quick unintended sob. He couldn't help it and the next thing he knew tears were flowing freely and silently down his cheeks as he sniffed loudly. He felt an arm curled gently around him but didn't look up.

It was strange he thought suddenly she was acting as if they had known each other for years yet they had known each other for just over a day in actuality. Well, he thought he'd pulled her away from the clutches of the Aurors and protected her from dementors just as she'd taken a stunning spell for him. That wasn't something you were likely to forget. No, he thought, there was no one he'd rather be with now than her, they were in this together and nobody else would understand that.

Sage's best friend at Hogwarts was not a Gryffindor. It was not unheard of at Hogwarts for a group of strong friends to appear from different houses but it was unusual. Hannah Abradakin was an exceptionally talented witch, second only to Hermione Granger and was in Ravenclaw. Sage had found her in a corridor in floods of tears in his second year after a Slytherin had hit her with a leg locking curse and stolen her wand telling her that the Basilisk would come and get her as she was Muggle-born. Sage, who was himself a pure blood though had never known his parents, had unfrozen and comforted her before instantly going to McGonagall. The result of this incident was that a sixth year Slytherin who Sage never found out the name of was put in detention for two months and an instant relationship had arisen between Sage and Hannah. Sage had quickly found that Hannah who appeared to be rather unapproachable was actually a rather spirited young witch. A few people had been surprised to see Hannah weeping openly at Dumbledore's funeral a few weeks previously. Did Sage feel the same way about Katie? Maybe, but the truth of the matter was that right now she was the best friend he had.

Sage looked up at Katie who also had tears flowing down her cheeks. Sage pulled a grin onto his face; he was already ashamed of the weakness he had shown.

"So" he said "What next?" he pulled himself to his feet and swooped over to the broken table in the centre of the room and sat down.

Taken aback by his sudden change of mood Katie paused for a few seconds before answering, "Well the paper hasn't told us anything new has it?"

"Only that you aren't a suspect anymore, though that's probably not true" Sage replied.

"True but what about that stuff you picked up in the tent?" Katie said in a grim tone. Sage had not looked at this since they had been in the tent. The previous night the two of them had found this house in silence after he had revived Katie. As soon as they had checked the house thoroughly, Sage gave her an outline of the chase from his perspective including the death of the Auror at the top of the store. Katie had fell asleep within minutes after this while Sage stared into the darkness for some time before he too fell into shallow and disturbed sleep.

Presently Sage walked over to the discarded blazer, which was now covered in tears and various stains and was far beyond repair and pulled out the photographs and name tag which were still covered in ashes from the tent. He laid out the photographs on the table and stared at them briefly while Katie walked over and followed suit. The photos were just as unpleasant and just as unhelpful as they had been the previous night.

"Well we know there are two bodies rather than two and they weren't killed by the killing curse but we don't know why that is so that doesn't help" Sage said bitterly.

"It may" Katie replied "I mean, why did the Prophet say that these people were killed by the killing curse instead of telling the truth?"

"I suppose that Auror was right when he said that the public wouldn't want to know?" Sage replied thoughtfully.

"There was something wrong about that Auror" Katie said.

"Yeah I agree but that's just another reason to avoid him" replied Sage.

"You don't think he's corrupt do you?" Katie said with an air of wondering.

"Maybe" Sage said, he had himself wondered the same thing but there was no way he would find out at the moment so it was better to come back to the matter at hand "Do you think its possible that the bodies were disposed of like this to hide their identity, I mean this way who knows who they really are, we've only got the name tags to go by".

"That's a fair possibility "Katie replied also deep in thought, "there were only two bodies also so that could mean…"

"That the third person on the tags could be a suspect" finished Sage "but we've still got to work out which one isn't one of the bodies"

They both went over to the table and peered at the three name tags. The first had in bold lettering EVANGELINE STEROPPE, DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT on the second EDWARD STRASSENHOUSER, DAILY PROPHET EDITOR while on the third a sticker was stuck over the tag with the word ICEBERG printed on it.

"Iceberg" Sage remarked "a nickname you think?"

"I dunno, take the sticker off "Katie replied and Sage did so revealing the writing FRY NARK, DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

"Have you heard of any of them?" Sage asked.

"No but that's another lie on the Prophet's behalf, it said that all three victims were Ministry worker whereas here we see that one of them worked for the Prophet instead."

"Ok that is strange but we're still no closer to finding which one wasn't a body, we need help from people in the ministry and I don't think many of them are likely to have a friendly chat with a insane, rampaging teenage Death Eater " Sage said bitterly slumping again as if defeated.

"Actually" Katie said slowly" there is someone we can trust"

"Really?" Sage answered disbelievingly "Who?" Katie looked at him as though the answer was too simple to put into words and when he frowned she said simply "Mum!"

"Your mother?" Sage asked disbelievingly "How do we know we can trust her?"

"Sage she's my mother" Katie retorted angrily. Sage, who had never known his own mother, somehow knew to trust Katie. After a few seconds he replied.

"Ok Kate, but how do we contact her?" There was again the look of apparent obviousness on Katie's face before she spoke.

"Oh of course you're a wizard, we use a telephone Sage"

"Ok we use the tele-thing, go come on!" Sage answered exasperated.

A few minutes later Sage and Katie walked out onto the street in the mid-morning sun. They walked quickly and quietly in order to get as little attention as possible, Katie had a frown on her face.

"Sage you said you grew up in an orphanage right?" She asked and when he nodded she continued "But then how come you don't know anything about muggles like telephones and stuff?"

"Well actually I've only been at the orphanage since I left Hogwarts a few weeks ago and I stayed in my room most of the time because the others thought I was weird with my robes and wand and so on. It was only a very temporary set-up until I could get a place of my own. I actually used to live with my Aunt Quintess but she was old and she died around Easter time. She was the closest thing I had to a mother. I miss her." he said solemnly, he then gave her a quick smile "But life goes on I suppose and we've got bigger problems now."

They didn't speak until they found a large red phone booth. They both went in and Katie inserted a few coins they had taken from her uncle's house yesterday. The phone rang several times before it was picked up. They both held their breath.

"Hello" a voice emerged from the handset.

"Hello Mum" Katie answered trembling despite herself.

"Oh hi James, How are you? No I'm not coming in to work today! No, no, no, ok I'll talk to you in a sec', hang on!" Sage looked at Katie and mouthed "What?" but she didn't reply. In the background they could hear "No, sorry it's a friend I'll just be a minute". There was a pause and then.

"Katherine, Katie is that you?"

"Yeah it's me" Katie replied pale faced.

"Oh thank heavens. Are you alright? The whole place is crawling with Aurors and there after you Katie."

"I'm ok mum" Katie replied frozen to the spot and speaking slowly.

"Ok, I haven't much time, are you with Sage Valentine?"

"Yeah I am but…"

No, no we haven't got time for this, look there are lots of people in the ministry that believe Valentine is innocent, myself among them. Now listen to me carefully, Katherine, you're going to be alright, just stick with Sage. I need you to meet me at the café on Freeway Street, you know the one?"

"Yeah I know it, Mum" Katie answered tears welling in her eyes.

"Ok good I need you both to meet me there at two got it? I've got some people I need Sage to meet?"

"Aurors?" Katie asked the tears erupting and flowing down her cheeks.

"No not Aurors, somebody Sage will know, ok? Ok, Katherine I love you and I'll see you at two in the Café at Freeway Street.

"I love you mum" Kate sobbed.

"I know sweetie, Oh yeah, of course James, ok, ok, right yeah, see you then. See you. Bye." The phone line went dead.

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**Thank you for all who have reviewed or even read this story. Reviews always make me smile, even if there negative!**

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**Next chapter: Help is at hand. Prepare for some cameo appearances. **


	7. Old friends, New plans

**If anyone has been following this story I apologize for not updating for ages. This chapter and the previous were supposed to be one but they turned out to be way too long so I broke it into two chapters therefore if one of these doesn't seem to have much of a point that's the reason. **

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**Disclaimer: Deathly Hallows is awesome, clearly I'm not as good a writer as J.K Rowling and clearly I don't own Harry Potter.**

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The time was five minutes to two O'clock at Freeway Street and in a small but busy Café on the corner a young teenage couple walked in. They were holding hands and whispering to each other. The mousy brunette giggled and they brought there heads together in a quick and sweet kiss the black hair mingling with brown. The girl giggled some more and they went and sat at an empty table. They propped up the menu and brought their lips together again. After some more whispered talking and giggling they kissed again for a few seconds longer. A few people around the Café watched this for a minute or so but one by one they either got bored or irritated, by the time the waitress had rolled her eyes at them as they ordered two milkshakes nobody was still watching the open but all together discreet teenage couple. Nobody noticed at least when a few minutes later middle aged women tapped the girl on the shoulder winked and then led them outside. 

"That was an interesting disguise" the woman said as she led them quickly over the road to a car parking lot that was currently not being used.

"For the record Sage, I did not enjoy that!" Katie whispered to him wiping her mouth. Sage had not enjoyed it either; it had been awkward, a last minute idea, but it had worked.

"So, am I as bad a kisser as you thought?" He smirked in reply. Katie shook her head and didn't reply.

They quickly reached the parking lot and walked to the other side before the woman turned and said "We are going to go to a safe place we will need to apparate". Sage stared at the woman for a moment. She certainly resembled Katie, the mousy brown hair, the heart-shaped face and the small but pretty complexion. He drew back slightly. The woman saw his hesitation. "Sage I know it's hard but please try to trust me on this" there was a note of desperation in the voice.

He looked at Katie quickly and saw her nod. It all comes down to whether I trust Katie's judgement, he thought and I suppose I do. He reached forward and held the woman's hand and next thing he knew was feeling the unpleasant sensation of disapperation.

The feeling of constriction that disapperation brought abated had for a second when Sage felt another constriction around his torso and after a second of confusion he realised that someone had grabbed him. He panicked, this had been such an obvious trap, how could he have led himself into it? He pulled at his arms and pushed out. To his surprise the person fell back. Sages hand had already darted towards his wand in his trouser pocket before he saw the persons face fully. He gasped.

"Hermione?"

"Sage, oh Sage we were so worried when we heard about all this" Hermione replied breathlessly and as she did so she moved forward again to embrace him again.

"Hermione, you really need to stop doing that you almost gave him a heart attack" came a voice from behind Hermione. The tall red haired figure of Ron Weasley appeared in Sage's line of vision.

Katie and her mother walked forward towards a sofa and sat down. It was only now that Sage noticed that the room was rather small but well furnished with wooden panels and flooring, a warm fireplace and comfortable seating. As Hermione let go of him the door on the opposite side of the room opened and a shaggy and unkempt Remus Lupin entered with a violet haired woman whom Sage knew vaguely as the Auror Nymphadora Tonks from her patrol at Hogwarts the previous year.

"Sage," Lupin said his arms spread wide "I see Elena got you here safely"

"Professor Lupin!" Sage exclaimed "I can't say how much I'm glad to see you, all of you in fact, but what's going on?"

"Well" said Lupin as he walked over to a seat and sat down, Tonks sat down next to him "All of the people you see in this room excluding yourself and Katherine Hill are members of the Order of the Phoenix, however unofficially" he glanced at Ron and Hermione.

Katie gasped, "You never told me you were in the Order" She said at her mother.

"Well the less you knew the safer you were until now" She replied.

"Ok so where are we?" Sage asked.

"My house" Tonks replied "Or that is to say our house" she was, Sage noticed, holding Lupin's hand. He didn't comment as there was far too many things that took priority.

"And you would let a supposed Death Eater in then?" he said and instantly wished he had been more subtle. Ron snorted.

"Sage there is about as much chance of you being a Death Eater as You Know Who giving up his reign of terror in favour of a quiet life married to dearest cousin Bellatrix" Tonks said slightly bitterly. Ron laughed but Hermione shot him a stern glance and he stopped abruptly.

"How come?" Sage questioned simply.

"Because" Elena Hill spoke "I don't believe any of the Aurors investigating your case are acting on their own will, I'd guess some of them are actual Death Eaters."

"There is far too much press attention on you to be normal too; the ministry usually tries to cover these things up" Hermione inputted.

"The general attitude within the ministry is that you are innocent, that the story is too ridiculous, that the Prophet has twisted truths and yet the Auror office is still doing it's utmost to find you" Tonks continued.

"Which all ads up to this being a deeply suspicious affair with a host of Death Eaters pulling the strings." Lupin finished.

"And of course, we know you mate. We know you couldn't do any of that stuff" Ron said with a grin.

"But how could that happen? The ministry isn't controlled by Death Eaters." Katie asked, sounding to Sage slightly naïve.

"Well unfortunately they seem to be doing so almost. We can never tell who's under the imperious curse but the signs are everywhere, muggle-borns suddenly losing their jobs, sudden new legislations being passed with little notice or debate and that proposed statue for the atrium. Of course some higher officials are revelling at the chance for more power no matter how wrong it feels, people like our dear friend Dolores Umbridge. If this keeps up it's only a matter of time before the ministry is completely under You Know Who's control. That's why your case is as interesting as the ministry is putting such emphasis on it" Lupin said grimly.

"So what happens now?" Sage asked.

"Well you both have a choice" Lupin said looking at both Katie and at Sage "the ministry is after you for reasons that can't be good so we can offer you the protection of the Order meaning that you will go into hiding however we can't guarantee that you'll remain hidden and your name will not be cleared or you can join the Order by following the leads and seeing what sort of trap is sprung and furthermore work out how to stop whatever this conspiracy is. Of course that comes with all the dangers that you are fully aware of and we may be giving them exactly what they want but the Order will try to assist you wherever it's possible."

Sage knew immediately that there was no choice in the matter for him. He would not go and hide away from all of his problems like a cowardly child, he had always tried to help his friends at Hogwarts and here was no different. However he was a wizard whereas Katie wasn't.

"I won't go into hiding" he said out loud "I want to see where this is all going to come out. But it's too dangerous to bring anyone else with me."

"How can you say that?" Katie exclaimed outraged and standing up, "You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me"

"Kate I can't let you get hurt." Sage argued back "I can barely protect myself let alone you as well" Katie looked as though he had just hit her, a sort of betrayed shock and anger. She opened her mouth to shout an angry retort but before she could her mother interrupted.

"Kate has to come with you if you're going Sage, she was with you last night and today in which time you were sure to have been seen together. It would look highly suspicious if she suddenly disappeared." She spoke with tears in her eyes showing that this was a hard thing for her herself to come to terms with. Sage couldn't deny that she was perfectly right.

"Fine then. Kate comes with me." he said shortly. Katie glared at him with a stormy look and sat back down.

"Right then" Hermione said quickly, evidently eager to preoccupy Sage and Katie both of whom were scowling at each other "We need to work out how you approach this. Have you got anything that we could use at all to give us some kind of clue?"

"Yes I have" Sage said tearing his eyes from Katie and producing the photographs and name tags from the inside of the tattered blazer "These were taken from the tent where the murder victims were". He passed the pictures first to Lupin while Tonks looked over his shoulder.

"That was awful risk you took, last night…" Hermione started.

"I know and I don't need you to tell me" Sage said gently enough to not offend Hermione but firmly enough to stop further pressing on the subject. "The pictures show the remains of two people rather than three, there were scorch marks on the floor showing indicating that the a fire spell had been used and the ashes scattered, by the looks of what was in the tent I would say with a reducto spell."

"The Prophet said…" Hermione began.

"Exactly" Sage interrupted.

"Well" said Lupin grimly "that only goes to show Death Eater involvement. If they are planning something they don't want the public involved though it seems odd that there has been such a public response. It is quite possible that they want the public interest but need them not to know too much, hence the lies." Lupin finished thoughtfully and Sage nodded.

"We also found these in the tent." Sage said passing the nametags to Lupin "There were only two bodies but three nametags and the bodies are, of course, unrecognisable" The tags were passed around in silence. It was Tonks who broke the silence.

"I knew Evangeline Steroppe but she disappeared a few weeks ago" she said.

"Strassenhouser was a Daily Prophet Editor too" said Ron "I laughed at his name once!"

"He disappeared a few weeks ago too" Lupin said "though why Death Eaters would have wanted him alludes me. He was already a nasty piece of work, anti-werewolf, anti-merpeople, anti-muggle borns."

"Unless he was a Death Eater" Sage said.

"Wouldn't surprise me" Lupin replied bitterly.

"And this Nark, Iceberg person" said Sage. Lupin, Tonks and Elena looked grim.

"I don't know why the name Fry Nark has come up but there is a well known Auror by the name of Emeret Dandlefield who goes by the name Iceberg." Elena said in a slow monotone "Thing is he disappeared too, a few weeks ago, only he turned up at St Mungos a couple of days ago covered in blood and babbling nonsensically. None of the healers has any idea what has happened to him. It's not been in the Prophet but it's caused a stir in the ministry."

"Well then" said Sage "this is our lead by the looks of it." There was a pause.

"Yes I agree" Said Lupin eventually "Though this seems like a very obvious trap"

"It does but it seems the only way that we are going see what they are planning" Katie said finally giving up her scowl.

"Won't it be dangerous to walk straight into what we know is a trap?" asked Hermione.

"The order will be at hand in case of emergency but that does mean there won't be a danger to this. Are you prepared for that?" asked Tonks.

Katie and Sage looked at each other and nodded. "But how are we going to get into St Mungos to talk to this guy?"

"Leave that to us" said Tonks" we are sure to find someone to use in a polyjuice potion. Actually we can get to that now. In the meantime you two ought to rest and leave braking and entering for the morning, there are rooms upstairs" She nodded to Lupin and they both disapperated.

"Yes we had better be getting back to the Burrow too" said Ron to Hermione and then to Sage "But before we do, here take this. A gift from Fred and George thought it might help; they said you had a good sense of humour so it's free." He passed Sage a bag that was, rather unnervingly moving by itself, which the Weasley Wizarding Whizzes.

"Thanks Ron, Tell Harry I said hi." Sage said at which point Hermione embraced him once again.

"Sage try not to do anything too dangerous would you." She said. Sage merely grinned as if they were back at Hogwarts enjoying a joke.

"You know that's a really nice tan Hermione" He said colloquially "Where did you go?" Apparently this was the wrong thing to say as Hermione's eyes suddenly welled with tears and she mumbled "Australia" before disappearing. Sage was taken aback and Ron looked grim.

"Don't worry about it, mate" he said with a nod before he too disapperated.

Clutching the moving bag Sage turned to find the room empty other than him and Elena Hill. Katie had already left Sage realised with a flash of irritation. She couldn't stand him having friends from Hogwarts. Her self-pity was really beginning to annoy him.

"Come on Sage, take the room, second on the left and get some rest." Elena smiled grimly and wearily. Smiling at the thought of a good comfortable rest Sage left the room and headed to the bedroom.

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**Thank you for all who have reviewed or even read this story. Reviews always make me smile, even if there negative!**

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**Next chapter:Walking into traps always has it's complications! Sage finds just how ruthless a plan the Death Eaters have.**


	8. Traps, Accusations and Babbling

**Finally I've managed to update after about a month, I apologize for this and so I give you two chapters at once. Well, to be honest, just like the previous two chapters I wrote too much for one chapter and so I've split it into two. I enjoyed writing these chapters as I tried to darken the mood of the story a bit. There are actually answers in this story but they will come a little later.**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter but when I'm rich and famous my work too will become a theme park.

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**The thin hand of the clock above the reception counter at St Mungo's rested at 56th mark of the circle while the fat one reached out to the 9 o'clock mark and amidst other mimics two healers apparated into the open space of the lobby. Holding hands and utterly inconspicuous in the emerging mass of wizards and witches, some of which were in obvious discomfort, boils were exploding like firecrackers from the body of a giggling young child while an aged wizard shuffled past resembling a human porcupine, the young healer couple made their way past the lobby and into a network of quiet corridors. This entry had not gone unnoticed; there was the odd "Morning Harold" or "Penelope, my office in an hour please!" (from an stern-looking wrinkled old witch) which the couple answered with quick preoccupied answers ("Right", "Morning", "Sorry kind of busy, talk later"), but overall the entrance was smooth and natural. They gave no indication that the real Penelope Yolane or Harold Cauldbottom were in fact still at home, in bed and locked in slumber, Penelope's head rested peacefully on her fiancé's chest. They would awake the next morning with no recollection of the past 36 hours, certainly not remembering that an old friend Nymphadora Tonks had visited carrying a bottle of Firewhiskey that happened to have been spiked with a sleeping drought.

Sage's alter ego Harold was blond thin man who was otherwise distinctly ordinary looking man in his early twenties dressed in lime green healer's robes that were altogether too small for him. Penelope, meanwhile, had a casual beauty about her, pitch black hair and green eyes reflecting the robes that she wore with such easy grace. Penelope was, Tonks had said, a naturally talented witch and was fast becoming a great healer, ironic, Sage thought, considering the person under her guise. Katie herself had barely talked to Sage all morning; evidently she was still angry about their disagreement the day before. Even now, as they found themselves alone in the corridor, a familiar scowl dispelled the beauty of Penelope's face.

The man whom they wished to see was on the Asclepius Golan Ward on the fourth floor (Spell Damage Floor). Tonks had found this out during her visit the previous evening. The plan Lupin had laid out was simple enough, get in around 9 o' clock, get up to Iceberg's room and get as much information as possible, then get to the Reception within the hour before the two hour Polyjuice potion dosage ran out, there they would disapparate back to Tonk's house. Get in, get information and get out. Simple. Sage could tell however that Lupin knew, as he himself did, this was very likely to have complications. They were walking knowingly into a trap, they both knew this

Sage noticed as they crossed corridors and reached the first flight of stairs passing various parties of people that Katie was still clasping his hand tightly, almost to the point at which it hurt.

"You can stop holding my hand now" he whispered to her, "I'm supposed o be your fiancé remember I'm not going anywhere."

"Fine" Katie spat back, thrusting his hand from hers. Sage rolled his eyes. They had proceeded up the first flight of stairs and had gotten to the second when Katie retorted.

"I suppose because I'm not a witch that means I could never match up to you at simple espionage!" she rasped at him, all beauty had gone from Penelope's face. Sage gaped, he couldn't quite believe she was starting this argument here of all places.

"I never said that." He replied in a harsh whisper.

"It's what you meant!" she too was whispering but not at all discreetly.

"Don't be so stupid!" Sage retorted angrily "We can't do this…"

"Oh I suppose in your pure blood world anybody who can't make their cauldrons or, or, or remberalls whiz above their heads is practically moronic!" Katie spat while tears threatened to flood Penelope's green eyes. That one hurt.

"How dar…" Sage was interrupted before he said something he knew he would later regret by a passing healer.

"Penelope are you quite alright? I heard you whispering something…" Katie gave her a flash of Penelope's dazzling smile and glancing at the witch's nametag replied "Yes everything is fine, thank you Ethel." The witch looked unconvinced but walked on nevertheless. Sage and Katie fell silent until they reached the fourth floor. Sage considered taking her hand again but decided against it, not only for fear of her reaction but also because at this moment he really didn't want to either.

The ward was not difficult to find and when they did they found that it consisted of a long corridor of single patient rooms decorated with portraits of healers. Sage remembered that these rooms were soundproof and were where the hospital kept its noisy patients.

Sage turned to Katie.

"Ok, I think we agreed yesterday that is likely to be trap." he said, she nodded without dropping her scowl, "therefore I think it's a good idea if only one of us enters the room while the other keeps lookout. I think I had better go in…"

"Oh yeah" Katie sulked "you get to act like a hero putting yourself at risk by going into an injured man's room. You wizards are all the same, oh no a squib can't do anything we're all too helpless and stupid, none of you ever gave me a chance!" she burst into tears while Sage was finally unable to contain his anger at this pathetic tantrum.

"You know, maybe there's a good reason you haven't got any wizards or witches as friends!" he said harshly raising his voice to a quiet growl "You can go in there in my place if you really want to, but what happens if it turns out there are Death Eaters in there. Perhaps there's more Aurors and you'll sit in Azkaban for the next twenty years. You're in this as deep as I am but you don't see me whinging and complaining or crying out that my lot in life is unfair, I certainly haven't thought less of you for being a squib. Stop acting like a child denied a bag of sweets because I've had enough of your self pity."

Katie had not expected this outburst, Sage hadn't raised his voice to her before and it was clear he did not do so often. She just stared at him, shocked. It was over a minute before she mumbled a reply.

"Right, go on then"

Sage instantly turned on the spot and raced down the corridor leaving Katie behind. He regretted his outburst, feeling embarrassed already, nevertheless it had worked. Hopefully.

Back to the matter at hand he thought. The doors had plagues with the name of the patient inside placed upon them so it wouldn't be hard to find the one he was looking for. Sage darted past scanning the names, Albert Ordroom, Amber Rigby, Thomas Freyodin, Emeret Dandlefield. There! Emeret Dandlefield! His room was about halfway down the long corridor, Sage saw that Penelope's figure was belittled by the distance of the corridor, she was slumped against the wall, sulking probably Sage thought.

Sage paused at the door; he raised his hand and hovered over the knob. Suddenly everything seemed rather foolish, talking to someone he knew was a nutcase with an almost certainly that Death Eaters were about to pop out at him. He didn't even know if this door would open. Too late now.

He turned the knob and the door opened and Sage instantly knew why Dandlefield was kept in a soundproof room.

"Door opened, it did, that door, the door over there it opened that door did! They opened doors they did, them, them, them yep they did doors they opened and then they did that…" a man inside shouted before, at its climax, letting out an ear-splitting scream. Sage quickly bundled himself inside and shut the door.

The room was reasonably sized, an armchair lay in the corner next what appeared to be a sort of monument of pile books some of which shook violently until the weight of the others piled atop them, the left side of the room was taken up by a bed in which lay Emeret Dandlefield. Dandlefield was laid calmly laid atop the covers shouting out nonsense, he was mostly bald, his remaining hair was perfectly white and his face was deeply wrinkled looking almost like a melted and stretched mask.

"Good morning Mr Dandlefield" Sage tried timidly.

"Dandlefield, Dandlefield, DANDLEFIELD!" the man yelled "All them green people call me that, they didn't, but green people do yep Dandlefield, Dandlefield, DANDLEFIELD!" he then started to babble, apparently unable to form real words.

Sage came closer and tried again "My name is Harold Cauldbottom and I was wondering whether you remember being known as Iceberg" At this Dandlefield stopped babbling and eyed Sage suspiciously for a moment

"Iceberg" he said suddenly "Called me that they do and they did Iceberg yep they did Iceberg yep. Cat did, ohh that cat, cat, cat, cat, yep Iceberg cat did call me, still does. Iceberg and cat, cat and Iceberg!" at this point he began to laugh hysterically. Dandlefield may be laughing but Sage had seen nothing as pitiful. He had said something about a cat. Was it possible? That cat, surely not. He also kept referring to "they". Death Eaters? It was possible. He decided to go for a different tact.

"Fry Nark" he said and there was an instant reaction Dandlefield stopped laughing and sat bolt upright looking at Sage as if for the first time. Without warning Dandlefield flew from the bed and with speed Sage hadn't thought possible, grabbed him by the collar of the lime green healer robes and pinned him against the wall.

"What is it boy?" He growled at Sage "Come to give me some more have you? I welcome death after what you did to me."

Sage placed his hand on his wand, breathed and spoke calmly.

"Mr Dandlefield, I need to know about Evangeline Steroppe and Edward Strassenhous…"

"Don't you dare speak that name!" the ex-Auror growled bringing his withered face up to Sage's "That bastard was out to get poor Evangeline, needed another Auror to put imperious curse and why wouldn't she trust a Prophet editor but those Death Eaters are there as well, Belmont, Strassenhouser. I reached them at Grimsfield but it was too late, he'd already got her. They attacked me and I …" Suddenly there was an interruption from behind Dandlefield.

"Now, now Dandlefield you were useful under my control but that story is mine to tell!" Dandlefield jerked his head to the source and let out an angry cry. Sage already knew what was about to happen.

"Avada Kedavra"

Green light. Sage clenched his eyes closed. A cry. The fingers around Sage's collar loosened then fell away. Sage's eyes snapped open. Déjà vu. There was the scrawny battered cat Animagus Death Eater stood over the body of a respected Auror.

"Now boy, don't look so surprised, didn't you only just tell your girlfriend that you knew this was trap" he smirked.

"You!" Sage growled with a pure hatred he had never felt before, not even with Dolores Umbridge. He wrenched his wand from his robes with a speed he never had before but the other man was just as quick.

"Stupefy" Sage yelled but the Death Eater flung himself to the side and the spell hit the pile of books sending them in various directions. Sage threw himself to the side to dodge an attack which didn't come and fired another stunning spell.

"Expelliarmus" came a third voice and Sage's wand flew from his hand.

"The blond man Sage had last seen in the tent, the night before last, ordering Dementers to suck out his soul stood at the doorway. Sage gaped. How had he gotten into St Mungo's? He closed the door casually and returned his hand to his chest as if nursing a wound.

"Hello Sage"

"Death Eater" Sage breathed through gritted teeth "I knew it, I'll, I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Now, now, I was very impressed by the way you passed our test the other night but that doesn't mean I'll hesitate to remove your fingers if you make another attack on myself or my brother"

But Sage wasn't listening, the blond man hadn't even finished when Sage leapt at the Animagus Death Eater slamming a fist into his chin as he was unguarded. Sage ripped the wand from the man's hand as he toppled and span around.

"Depulso" he yelled but the man ducked and the spell dispersed uselessly against the wall, Sage span and was about to send another spell when another voice came from the freshly ajar door.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" it rasped and Sage turned to find a sight worthy of his nightmares. Standing there was none other than Fenrir Greyback, just as shaggy and menacing as he looked in wanted posters and as if to make the scene perfectly horrific he held in his right hand a wad of black hair. This hair belonged to a body, a graceful body garbed in lime green robes, a woman with her arms tied neatly behind her back; rope lashed around her ankles and with a cloth serving effectively as a gag tied around her mouth, a woman that was most certainly Penelope, a woman that was most certainly Katie.

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**I've nothing in particuliar to say here other than please keep reading and reviews are appreciated!

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Next Chapter- Sage will do anything to protect Katie.**


	9. Kill or be Killed

**Like I said in the previous chapter this one is kind of the second part of what was originally one chapter. I hope people will get the idea that this story isn't just about two kids happily running away from various people anymore. That is what I tried to show in this chapter anyway.**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter but when I'm rich and famous my work too will become a theme park.

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Sage simply gaped, it wasn't possible, Fenrir Greyback in St Mungo's! Never mind the blond Death Eater, how the hell had he gotten in? And how did he get Katie in a hospital corridor? This wasn't happening, it couldn't be! Even after the last week Sage refused to believe it, no not possible, nope, no way, not real!

But there was that little voice in his head saying it has to be, it has to be real. He expected a trap but not this, never this. With that thought came a paralysing horrific surge of fear and along with it a sudden unexplainable rage within him, red hot terror and ice cold anger. He shook violently.

Then, looking up, he saw Penelope's face besmirched, the gag cleaving her mouth open, tears flowing freely staining everything with distress and the pain evident on her face , her nose wrinkled trying to withstand. He saw Katie in her place. Rage won the battle inside of him and he raised the wand.

"DIE, YOU BASTARD! REDUCTO" He bellowed aiming at Fenrir as he closed the door. The blond Death Eater jumped in the way, swung his wand and deflecting Sage's spell. It hit the bed, slamming through it destroying it utterly and causing the wall to shake. Suddenly there was dust everywhere and no one could see a thing. Sage blind with dust and rage hurtled forward.

"Expelliarmus" someone said and the wand flew from Sage's hand but he didn't care. He saw a shape, a figure, a face and lashed out as hard as possible. The punch collided with a jaw and there was a crunch. Both jaw and fist broke. Sage cried out at the sudden pain in his hand and then a fist appeared amidst the swirling whiteness and collided with his cheek.

"Stupefy" came from two voices in front of Sage and both spell slammed into his chest and he was shot across the room and the whiteness was replaced by black.

Sage regained consciousness. The black faded to a dark grey and then came colour, though the world was spinning and was fuzzy. Sound returned and he could hear muffled dialogue.

"You got to hand it to the kid, two stunning spells to the chest and he still gets up from it!"

"Little bastard, I ought to rip him to pieces." Came the unmistakeably growl of Fenrir.

"You know the Dark Lord would never forgive you."

"I'll settle for his girlfriend" Fenrir rasped manically "I'd love to sink my teeth into that fresh young skin"

There was a squeak from somewhere, but Sage couldn't work out where exactly, everything was a blur but he just make out three shapes. He tried to move. Then came the pain. It was as if a bomb had left a crater in his chest, a mixture of numbness and seizure. He doubled over, coughing and wheezing his chest hurting more every time. The black returned.

When he regained consciousness for a second time, he felt much better than the first. His vision and hearing were back to normal though his head throbbed and his chest pain was more than a simple ache.

Looking around he could see that the three Death Eaters remained in their earlier positions; that being the blond man sat on the armchair rubbing a healed but evidently sore jaw; Fenrir slumped against the wall, which now donned a large crater and the Animagus sat in a rather cat-like position on the floor next to Katie who was laid down, still bound, gagged and shaking but otherwise unmoving. Sage noticed that it actually was Katie; there was no trace of Penelope. It was only then that he realised that there was long black hair dangling in front of his own face. The Polyjuice potion had worn off. How long had he been out for?

"The boy is up" Fenrir said and the others looked at him, including Katie at which point Sages heart leapt in despair, "You had better not try anything else or the filthy squib will experience a painful end to its pathetic existence." There was a savage glee to Fenrir's voice.

"Now now Fenrir" the blond man said with that mocking ironic tone "that's no way to treat a guest, now let me introduce ourselves. My name is Claudius and this is my brother Legimin, I'm sure you're acquainted with Fenrir. We know a lot about you Sage Valentine, such as the fact that you are now about to help us a great deal."

"I'll never help you" Sage growled as he tried to stand up finding he was far too dizzy and nauseous and flopping down again.

"On the contrary Mr Valentine you've been helping us for about a week now, not that you would remember that." Claudius sent a knowing grin at his brother, "I must say I'm disappointed, you would make a fine disciple for the Dark Lord, all of that anger. No, ok perhaps you need some persuasion. Crucio" he pointed the wand at Katie. She began to roll erratically, she forced her wrists against the rope but they wouldn't budge, tears flowed down her cheeks and she screamed wildly through the gag. Sage felt as if his heart were being cut in two.

"No" he screamed tears appearing in his eyes. He staggered to his feet, collapsed and tried again, "No Stop, Stop"

Claudius however looked as if he were enjoying himself and had no intention of stopping. "Stop, what on earth for?" Sage saw the manic gleam of savage pleasure in his eyes, he meant every word he said "You can't possibly like this filthy little squib. Give me a good reason to stop."

Tears were blurring his eyes but Sage could see that both Legimin and Fenrir, especially Fenrir, had similar looks of pleasure at the wriggling girl.

"Stop" Sage cried "she's my friend, my friend, stop please stop."

"Your friend" Claudius cried to the obvious amusement of his associates, at the point Katie began to flip from side to side still howling in pain "Your Friend! I am disappointed! How can a pure blood like you befriend a filthy disgusting wretch who besmirches the name witch?" he kicked Katie hard in the stomach.

"She is! She is my friend! STOP STOP!" Sage pleaded.

"She is! She is my friend!" Claudius sang in a high voice, "Well lets see what she has to say about it shall we!" he bent down and removed the gag. Her scream was truly unbearable. Sage stumbled over to the squirming girl. She looked over to him with bloodshot eyes.

"Sage please" Katie screamed "Sage please help me. Help me please"

"I'll do it" Sage roared to the Death Eater "I'll help you, just stop hurting her please"

Claudius gave a satisfied smile but he still thrust his wand at Katie, she screamed and wriggled harder than ever.

Are you sure this isn't a ruse?" he asked babyishly.

"I'LL DO IT" Sage yelled. Claudius gave another satisfied smile and took his wand away from Katie. She stopped screaming and wriggling and lay shaking and sobbing, gazing with eyes full of tears up at Sage. Then her eyes rolled back and she lost consciousness. Sage put his still-damaged hand around her small, shaking abdomen and the other around her head and stroking her stained cheek with his thumb, pulled her close.

Claudius laughed "I thought dear, sweet Katherine might change your mind" Sage looked up to see him beaming "I should let you know that Bellatrix has told me it takes a long time to torture somebody into insanity, if you do not do exactly as I say, I intend to find out whether she tells the truth before giving her to Fenrir."

"What is it?" Sage asked, not taking his eyes from the girl in his arms wanting desperately to untie her, "What is it you want me to do?"

"Ahh to business then" said Claudius triumphantly reseating himself and still wearing the sinister grin, "take a look at this if you will". He pulled an envelope from his robe pocket and threw it to Sage. Sage grabbed the envelope and pulled out its contents, there were several photographs inside. The photos, all moving, all depicted a woman, her walking along a street, her practising spell work, her eating with associates among others along the same lines. Sage recognised the woman immediately, braided hair, pierced lip and an Aurors crest upon her robes (in a picture of her at some ceremony), a woman who he had last seen blasting spells at him…right before he allegedly murdered her partner.

"Recognise her?" Claudius smirked; Legimin had a deeply satisfied look on his face, "yes thought you might, her name is Miss Strangle"

Sage had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach as he asked "What about her?"

"Well you see dear Trixabell has become a bit of a problem and we would like her to be, shall we say, removed." Sage's eyes widened as Legimin gave a soft chuckle "Put simply, tonight Legimin will lead you to her home, he will remove all potential problems and will make sure the job is done, you will wait for her to return and kill her, understood?. We have no worries over how it is done; only she must die and you must do it. You will return to us at a location only Legimin will know. Doing so will provide us with enough restraint not to kill your little girlfriend and we will decide what to do after that."

Sage gaped. "But…But, I don't understand. Why do you want me to kill her? If you know where she is why couldn't you kill her? You know…you know that I couldn't...I couldn't do it, I couldn't even kill you when you tried to kill me the other day and what chance do I stand against an Auror? I don't understand, why me?"

"There are many reasons, none of which I am going to share with you albeit to say that it has to be you. And don't worry my brother is better at this than he looks." Claudius said.

"I I I couldn't kill anyone, I don't have…" Sage spluttered.

"You will or little Katherine will die understood?" Claudius cut in sharply, "Oh and I should warn you, any funny business and we can make her death very painful. Put it this way, Strangle will die if not by your hand then by one that knows no mercy and one that could make the affair much more unpleasant."

Sage looked helplessly around the damaged room, to Fenrir bearing his pointed teeth, to Legimin positively beaming with the anticipation of killing yet another Auror, to Claudius who stared at him expectantly, to Katie unconscious but looking more beautiful than he remembered her looking before; there really was no way out of this. But he couldn't kill, there was no way .But he had to help Katie, he couldn't just leave her with these three maniacs. He had no choice, there was no way to fight back without ending up like Dandlefield who was still sprawled out dead in the corner and he couldn't help Katie if he was dead. He could do nothing else; he had to do as they said. He owed no favours to a woman who had tried her best to kill him.

"Well what do you say Sage?" Claudius said "How much do you care for the filth in your arms?" There was only one answer and Sage knew it. Maybe he could stop Legimin while he was on his own. No there was no maybe about it; Sage was no killer, that's what he had to do. There was no other way.

"I'll do it" Sage replied darkly.

He had no choice. Kill or be killed.

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_"At the base of my spine I get a tingling sense something evil is about to commence, under the cover of a darkened sky 99 Death Eaters go by"_ - **Draco and the Malfoys, 99 Death Eaters. **

**I thought that was quite fitting. I love wizard rock! Anyway as usaul reading this and reveiwing it is appreciated.

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Next Chapter- Somebody will die tonight, but who?**


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